Fashion Technology: All You Need To Know About It!
- Technology
Sophia Silva- 1
- 10 minutes read
There have been numerous advancements in technology around the world and it has affected a host of sectors in the course. This has resulted in some inevitable developments. Moreover, the way of working has been revolutionised for different domains. Therefore, it is important to have an update on the alterations that have been made in distinct industries due to the implementation of new technology. This includes one of the growing industries, fashion. Since fashion technology is a newer term, not many know what it means and how it works. Therefore, let’s start by understanding what is fashion technology and then extend into the details of it.
What Is Fashion Technology?
Fashion technology is referred to as the innovative and unique ways through which advanced tech is implemented into the fashion industry. This kind of technology has helped the fashion industry expand as it has offered opportunities to scale-up production and sale of items that have been manufactured in the domain. It is a boon to industry participants in this domain. Moreover, the adoption of fashion technology has increased over time. In addition, it has also extended its roots into the social media aspect of the fashion industry. The fusion of fashion with technology even harnesses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) features.
Coy Griffin And Her Journey
Coy Griffin, a fashion technology expert, noted the advancements it brought to the industry and talked about how she initiated the journey in this domain:
“When I was in college, I interned for Johnson & Johnson as a regular data analyst punching numbers all day. At that point, I wanted to pivot into the fashion industry using my knowledge of data analytics, so I just started Googling fashion analyst jobs, and that’s when I discovered trend forecasting.”
She then commented on her growth in the industry and how she decided to take forward tech implementation in it. She commented on it saying:
“Traditionally, stylists had to go to fashion warehouses, but the company changed the game by taking pictures of the inventory at prominent fashion warehouses and placing them online. Stylists were able to then shop online as opposed to going to the fashion warehouse themselves. So upon graduating, I worked at another fashion tech startup but, unfortunately, it was more of like a data crunch industry. That’s when I decided to create Your Own Creativity (YOC). Through my brand, I teach designers how to integrate the latest technological innovations—3D printing, augmented reality, innovative fabrics, etc.—with their products.”
AI And AR Usage In Fashion Industry
In recent years, several consumers have shifted to the digital mode of product research and purchase. This is because of the fact that changing lifestyles have demanded faster alternatives and that is why traditional modes of shopping have seen stagnant growth. On the other hand, digital means have been flourishing. This can be noticed in the growth of leading e-commerce companies like Amazon or Flipkart. This is one of the reasons why the fashion industry has also enabled product purchases on their websites as well.
These sites often make use of AR virtual try-on systems for aiding their customers, which is one of the best fashion technology examples. This feature has been incorporated into sites that offer spectacle frames long ago. A well-known example of that is Lenskart, which allows users to take a snapshot of their face and try the frames in real time to know how they would look once they wear them in real life. Consumers have been appreciating such a process as it not only is efficient enough but also saves a lot of time and effort.
AR virtual try-on features are not just limited to lenses and spec frames. They are also implemented in products such as jewellery and even clothing. This way, the fashion industry can attract customers from any part of the world, thus, expanding its reach. The integration of fashion technology has given a completely new outlook to the domain as AI is used to detect consumer needs from their recent internet activities. This again aids both the ends, the customer and the producer. Kwon Kim, the Meta VP of product Yulie, commented on the similar lines to Vogue Business saying:
“Beauty brands have been some of the earliest — and most successful — adopters of AR try-on. As the buzz around the shift to the metaverse continues, we expect beauty and fashion brands to continue to be early innovators.”
Fashion Tech For First-Class Jewellery And Accessories
Fashion tech has been used to elevate user experience when they are purchasing some of the finest and first-class jewellery and accessories. This is because such luxury items are never of a lower cost and the customer expects know-how of the product before moving forward with it. This is where AR virtual try-on feature again steps in. People can now even try their engagement rings online before ordering them, which reduces the hassle of going to a jewellery shop and spending hours for the same thing.
It provides the utmost convenience at the end of the buyer as they can make purchases from the comfort of their homes. In addition, the ones who provide these products are not bound to have a physical shop and can just set up an online store. This way they can reduce expenditure on building or leasing out a shop for their business. Since the capital requirement would be lesser, there would be increased opportunities for earning higher profits and expansion.
Can We Expect AR Virtual Try-on To Become Mainstream Soon?
After the Covid-19 pandemic hit us, there had been restrictions on everything and even traditional modes of shopping. Therefore, people and businesses shifted to virtual means of communication and carrying out operations. This also impacted the fashion industry and this led to increased use of the AR virtual try-on technology to earn customer satisfaction amid such global issues. This is why we think that it is most likely that this feature will be mainstream in the near future. Moreover, the advancements in the sector have led several beauty brands into using this feature for boosting sales.
The AR tech in the domain has also revolutionised in the last year. This is because virtual try–on for jewellery and accessories to be worn on hand including bracelets and watches earlier used to rely on printed AR markers for knowing the finger or wrist sizes of the users. However, due to improved tech, it now works in the most optimum manner, thus, enhancing the user experience as a whole. Moreover, the AgileHandTM technology is also used in the domain for realistic experience and precision of details in the case of hand accessories.
NFT In Fashion Technology As A Way To Earn
The Web 3.0 system has altered the digital space massively due to the introduction of the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This has, in turn, aided the fashion domain as a whole as it is something based on art and NFTs are popular because of the various unique art pieces on them. This is why several beauty and fashion brands have been entering into it. Moreover, NFT fashion art has gained popularity in recent times. For instance, Gucci, a renowned luxury fashion brand in the international market, organised an NFT-based auction in May 2021, which is one of the well-known fashion technology examples.
Subsequently, e.l.f. Cosmetics also entered the NFT domain in June of the same year. Louis Vuitton also integrated fashion and NFT tech together along with blockchain aspects to launch a game based on adventures, which is known as Louis the Game. All in all, the earning prospect has been better for the fashion industry after the blockchain, NFT, and crypto sectors were explored by them.
A Technical Wind Up!
Fashion technology is literally the best thing that has happened to the domain. This has elevated user experience and also aided in the companies earning better profits. In addition, fashion with technology is expected to be mainstream soon, thus making the positive effects a permanent thing. Moreover, the integration of the Web 3.0 system in the form of NFT fashion art and other such forms has been massively helpful as well. This is because this has led to an increase in reach and even serves as a new mode of earning. Therefore, it will be intriguing to watch for updates in tech in the field.
[Note: If you are someone interested in this technology and want to learn about it, the best college for it will be the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).]
1 Comment
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